The Null King and I
by Coke head
Summary: What if Ben never figured out what powered D'Void? What if D'Void broke through the dimensional wall and brought his kingdom to Earth? This is the story through the eyes of a plumber's child who lived during the reign of the Null King.
1. Chapter 1

Earth is being oppressed, but not by a communist dictator like Mao or Stalin in history books, but instead by creatures from another dimension. I heard them being called demons, aliens, and angels before but the other day my friend told me what they really are. They are called Null Guardians.

"Guardians!?" I shouted at her, "They're no guardians!"

"They were guardians once," she whispered to me, "I'll have to tell you the story later," she said as the teacher gave us a dirty look.

It isn't as bad as oppression could be, I suppose. The Null King still allows education but there are strict rules and guidelines like no looking away from the board or the fact that if you go below a 3.0 GPA, you get dropped from school worldwide.

There are strict laws on other things too. The curfew is ten o'clock and the streets are patrolled by other creatures, but no one has survived to tell anyone what they look like. Everyone must get up at the break of dawn and go to their respective occupations. After school, children must go through the dimensional portal to go to the mines. Adults are there all day and go home at sunset on Earth. We mine yellow minerals but we aren't told what they're called or why we're mining it. A lot of things are kept in the dark from us. No one has ever seen the Null King. My friend's cousin claims that he has but I don't believe him. He says a lot of things.

Life is almost as normal as it was before they came here but it is obvious that we're being dictated and oppressed. A fool could see that!

I was waiting after school for Gwen to meet me and tell me more about the guardians. I kept thinking that she is just as big of a liar as her cousin is. I mean, she decides now to tell me, two years after the Null Guardians or whatever you want to call them came here. Why didn't she tell me when they first appeared?

"Are you Maybelle Townshend?" a man asked me suddenly when he approached me. He wore the sleek metal armor that the military has to wear these days and he carried a gun over his shoulder so I had to answer him.

"Yes, that's me," I replied.

"The Null King has requested your presence; you must come with me," he said as he took my arm. The armor covered him from head to toe in one large piece so I couldn't see his face. I heard that there was a button on their armor somewhere that would disassemble the armor.

"Alright..." I said quietly as we walked quickly towards the school gate, where a Null Guardian was waiting for us. It's a large gray beast that often reminds me of a worm because they have no eyes, just a large mouth. It has two huge dragon-like wings and long tentacles like a squid. The guardians are scary things, especially their large teeth.

As the soldier put me onto the demon that smelled like rock and saddled up in front of me, I kept wondering why the Null King wanted to see me, of all people. Did I do something wrong? No, because they would have shot me on the spot. It must have been something good then. But what have I done!?


	2. Chapter 2

We had traveled many miles across the country before finally making it to the Null King's citadel. It floated above the White House in Washington D.C. like a UFO. The citadel was a large circular shape with a single tower in the middle of it, glowing yellow. On top of the tower was the drill that had poked through the sky above Tokyo two years ago. I had seen it on the news that fateful day.

The soldier grabbed me and leaped off the guardian before escorting me into the fortress. He pulled me through a maze of hallways before coming into one great hall. I noticed that every where were those yellow minerals. They were driven into the wall and glowed dimly to be used at torches. The great hall was full of these crystals. Large ones lined the wall, small ones were scattered across the floor and the chandelier above our heads was made out of the precious stuff. What was so important about these crystals?

"I brought her at your request, my lord," the soldier said as he dropped to his knee, pulling me with him.

Across the room, I could see the figure of a man sitting lazily on his throne of yellow crystal. At the arrival of the soldier and me, he sat up straight and alert.

"Come closer, Maybelle Townshend," he said in a low, almost growling voice.

I stood up and the soldier shoved me forward. I stumbled on my first couple steps but I walked quickly up to the Null King who didn't look so powerful and mighty when I saw him up close. I kneeled again, five feet away from his throne. I had imagined him to be a giant, clad in scary looking armor and never revealed his face but the real Null King that sat before me seemed like an old man with long white hair but he was very brawn. He was bare-chested and wore a green cloak, brown pants, black boots and leather fingerless gloves. He wasn't scary to me anymore.

"Did you write this research essay by yourself?" he asked me, holding up a small stack of paper. I recognized the quick handwriting as my own and nodded vigorously.

He leafed through it briefly, "You cited the work of a man named Dr. Aloysius Animo, did you not?" I nodded again. My research paper was on biology for science class and most of my paper was made up of the scientist's discoveries.

His eyes flashed at me and I saw that they were yellow like the crystal that could be found everywhere you turn. He was a little scary now.

"Tell me about this Animo," he leaned forward on his throne.

I gulped and looked for words. It had been a month since I wrote the paper and under this sort of pressure, I couldn't remember anything. My mouth became dry and the Null King became irritated. He made a slow movement to get up but I cut him off.

"You've never heard of Dr. Animo?" I asked him, "He's only one of the greatest scientists in history," I continued, my mouth kept running and my brain was at a stop, "He didn't win the Verities Award many years ago because of his research in genetics, which I found fascinating. There was a five year time span in which I could not find anything about him but I began to find files on him going to jail, but that was as much as I could find."

The Null King quickly shut his mouth as he had been gaping at what I said and sat back in his throne.

"I wish I could find out more about Animo's research but he didn't publish any of it other than what he did for the Verities Award," I told him.

There was silence for the longest time before he finally spoke up. "I have heard of this… Dr. Animo. He is a fascinating scientist, isn't he?" I nodded as the Null King clasped his hands together, "I believe I have some of his papers somewhere, if you would like to read through them."

"I would love that, my lord," I replied, bowing deeply with my head to the floor.

"I will have someone to pick you up after school hours tomorrow, same place, and same time. You are dismissed," he said waving for the soldier to take me away.

I was taken back to the spot where the soldier had asked for my name and I ran for home, knowing my father was wondering where I had been.


	3. Chapter 3

I arrived just fifteen minutes before curfew. The house was dark but my father had the fireplace going in the den. I peered in the doorway and saw his face glowing orange in the light. He smiled when he saw me, his moustache wiggling.

"Maybelle, where have you been?" he asked as he stretched out his arms for a hug. I ran into him and wrapped my arms around his neck. I didn't know whether I should lie or tell the truth.

"The Null King wanted to see me, papa," I said suddenly as I pulled away to see his face. He remained calm and listened. "A soldier took me there and the Null King asked about my research paper I did a month ago."

"Why?" he asked me.

"I don't know but he wanted to know more about Dr. Animo, the guy that I cited in my paper, remember?"

"Oh, yeah I do," he scratched his chin, "That's weird. I'll have to let the others know," he said as he got up and headed for the phone. He meant "others" as in the Resistance against the oppressors, the Null King and his army.

"He wants me to come back tomorrow after school so I can read some of Dr. Animo's papers," I told my dad as I followed behind him.

He dialed a number on the phone as I sat in the wooden chair beside the phone. He waited silently until someone answered and he repeated my story as he ran his hands through his short brown hair.

"Alright, I'll do that then. Thanks Max," my father said before hanging up. He turned to me with a serious look on his face, "Max thinks this might be an opportunity to learn D'Void's weaknesses. I'm going to give you my plumber badge that will allow us to track you. It may be too dangerous to bug you with a mike so I'm going to trust what you say is the truth."

"I'll do my best, dad," I told him.

"Here, keep it safe," he said as he pulled his black and green badge from his pocket and handed it to me. I held it in my hand for a moment with a smile before pocketing it in my jacket. "It also identifies you as a Plumber."

"Thanks dad!" I exclaimed as I hugged him around his waist.

I could not sleep. I held the badge tight to my chest, excited about being dubbed a Plumber like my dad. I began to imagine how it would go tomorrow. How did D'Void get a hold of Dr. Animo's papers? Maybe he was interested in him too, like I am. I would love to meet Dr. Animo and talk to him, ask him where's he's been all this time, what he's been doing. It's like he disappeared shortly after he lost the award but that wasn't entirely true. He was arrested several times, one for armed robbery, charged by the man who won the Verities Award and the others were for breaking out of jail. Dr. Animo must be a vengeful man to have gone after Dr. Kelly repeatedly. I don't blame him. If I was in the same position, I would go after them too. Dr. Animo and I are a lot alike.


	4. Chapter 4

Gwen was waiting for me when I came to school and she told me she had been worried about me yesterday. I didn't tell her where I went, thinking she might freak out. I told her I felt a little sick and went straight home.

After school, I hurried to the same spot I was at yesterday and soon, the soldier arrived. He didn't grab my arm this time but he helped me up onto the guardian. I couldn't wait to see the papers; I wanted to hurry to the citadel.

This time, we went to a different place instead of the great hall. The soldier shoved me through a large wooden door and shut it behind me. The room he put me in was like a study. Along one wall was a lit fireplace, burning that yellow crystal we mine. The air smelled foul because of it. The walls were lined with bookcases chock full of books. In the middle of the room was a large desk with a single chair. Books and papers were piled upon the desk and there stood the Null King, D'Void.

"Here, Animo's papers," he said with a slight grin as he held up a file.

I approached him cautiously and he handed me the file. I sweated nervously as he watched me open it and read the papers. The papers seemed to be quickly written in Dr. Animo's handwriting and he was describing a machine that could change animals at the genetic level. The last few papers described his plans to modify the machine to reanimate once dead animals. His first experiment would be on a mammoth skeleton.

"I like this Dr. Animo, he goes for the big prize. Don't you think so too?" D'Void asked me as he stared into the fire, standing in front of the fireplace with his hands behind his back.

"Yeah, he is an amazing man. I would love to meet him," I replied as I leafed through the papers. D'Void remained silent.

"You are a very intelligent student, Maybelle. Would you like to come here to study after school? I have plenty of books; a lot of them are on biology," he turned to me with a smile, "Biology is my favorite subject, specifically genetics. That's why I admire Dr. Animo's work."

"Mine too!" I exclaimed. He raised his eyebrow at me and I ducked, coughing into my fist, "I love genetics too. I think it is so amazing," I told him in a calmer voice, "I would love to come here and study. I've read most of the books at the library anyways."

"We are similar, you and I," he smirked before he waved me out. I slipped back through the door where I met the soldier who took me back to the same spot that he had been picking me up from. I don't know for sure if it is the same soldier or not but he never talks to me during the long ride, not even to make small conversation. It's a little nerve racking.

On the way home, a dog jumped out in front of me from an alley. It had its fur raised on its back and I couldn't tell what it was going to do next. I tried to calm it down by squatting to its level and offering my hand. It growled a little before stepping forward cautiously and sniffed my hand. It probably smelled the foul burning yellow stuff on me or sensed that I had been around the Null King because it licked my hand and then my face.

Doors shutting and locking around me signaled that it was almost curfew time and I had to go home. I told the dog to sit and stay as I walked towards home. I felt bad when I looked back to sit it still sitting there, obeying my final order. Dad never allowed me to have pets, but I love animals. I wonder if Dr. Animo was an animal lover too. He mentioned briefly about his many pets that he tested various vaccines on. He must be an animal lover; why else would he study biology?


	5. Chapter 5

The school bell rang and I hurried back to the usual spot when Ben, Gwen's cousin, grabbed me by the sleeve to stop me. He was wearing that green jacket I hate. It looks out of place and out of style.

"You cannot trust D'Void!" he whispered harshly so no one would hear.

"I don't!" I replied, "Why do you think that? Your grandpa and my dad want me to go there!"

He eased up a little but he still seemed angry. "I'm telling you ahead of time. Gwen told me about your research paper a month ago when you wrote it-"

I saw the metal soldier outside the door waiting for me. "Sorry, I got to go!" I shouted as I ran towards the door.

"D'Void is Dr. Animo!" Ben shouted at me as I pushed the door open. The words went in one ear and out the other as I leaped up onto the Null Guardian with the soldier and we rode towards the citadel.

How could Dr. Animo be D'Void? The picture I had seen on the internet of Dr. Animo looks nothing like D'Void. Of course, the picture had been taken over ten years ago and he was in his forties. But I highly doubt that Dr. Animo is D'Void. Why would D'Void ask about my knowledge of Dr. Animo? That indicates that he is not Animo. If he is, he's very self-absorbed to be asking about himself.

When we arrived, I decided I wouldn't ask D'Void directly. Ben was most likely lying because he was jealous. The only reason why Ben was still in school was because of Gwen doing his homework for him.

The soldier brought me to the study but D'Void was not there. The door shut behind me and I searched the bookshelves in the dim light of the fire. There were so many science books, I didn't know what to pick. I leafed through several interesting ones that caught my eye before finally sitting down to read a book about sea creatures that lived in the darkest oceans. I soon got used to the smell of the burning mineral as D'Void stepped into the room.

"What are you reading there?" he asked me as he came up to the desk. I flipped the cover over so he could read the title. "Ah very interesting," he said as he walked towards a book case, "Have you ever heard of the Kraken, Maybelle?"

"Oh, yes! It's scary to think that something that big can live under our noses," I told him.

"I heard that Dr. Animo had genetically mutated a squid to grow as big as the legendary Kraken," he turned to me, flashing an evil smile, "Possibly bigger."

"How do you know this? His research was never published or even written down. Dr. Animo kept it all in his mind. He was like a talking book!" I knew I had him now.

"Dr. Animo was a close friend of mine. He told me about his scientific advances sometimes," D'Void grinned and turned away to gaze at his books.

"You knew Dr. Animo!?" my eyes widened. He nodded. "Oh, if I could meet him just once…" I trailed off. Many kids would love to meet their favorite celebrity; I would love to meet my favorite scientist.

D'Void went silent again. He was full of confidence until now. It seems that he does that every time I mention seeing Dr. Animo. Maybe he knew something that I didn't?


	6. Chapter 6

On the way back home, I wondered about what Ben had said and whether it was true or not. D'Void couldn't be Dr. Animo but he may also be lying. How would I make certain that he wasn't Dr. Animo? I brainstormed ways to test him and as I approached my house, I began to wonder if dad would know anything about D'Void.

As I walked in, I saw that our large resistance group was having a meeting. I had totally forgotten about it. They meet every Friday when curfew is thirty minutes more than usual because of the weekend. I was welcomed warmly being a plumber's child like most of them. I sat my backpack down and pulled up a seat with my dad.

"Anything new, Maybelle?" my dad asked me as he put his arm behind me. I noticed Ben and Gwen among the many faces in the kitchen.

"No, nothing new," I replied. I hadn't found anything that they wanted to know anyways.

"I guess that pretty much wraps it up," Max said as he stood up from his chair. He was Ben and Gwen's grandpa and was pretty old but he moved better than the average elderly person.

"You all are welcome to use the bathroom or grab yourselves something from the fridge on the way out. Just don't take too long, we are only minutes away from curfew and no one will be allowed out in the streets," my dad told them after he checked his watch, "If you don't think you can make it home, you are more than welcome to stay with me or Max."

Most of the members dispersed through the house so as to not attract attention. Two would leave out the front; one would leave out the back. It was a slow process but it was best to be safe than sorry. When everyone was gone, my dad turned to me with a serious look on his face.

"Ben told me about the brief talk he had with you this afternoon," he started and I stared at him blankly, "About D'Void?" I nodded to show him that I was on the same page. "Max confirmed that D'Void is Dr. Animo and he wanted me to talk to you about it now because I know how you look up to the scientist," he stopped and put his hands on my shoulders, "Sweetie, you have to understand that Dr. Animo was a mad scientist. He did unorthodox genetic experiments on animals and that's why he didn't win that award many years ago. He is not the best role model for you."

I pulled away angrily and stared down at the white tiled floor. So what if Dr. Animo did bad things? He was an intelligent man. I sat and listened to my dad as many arguments ran through my mind.

"Two years ago, before D'Void came here, Ben and his grandpa was battling him in a different dimension called the Null Void. D'Void admitted that he was Dr. Animo and he was drilling through the dimension to come here. He was too powerful and no one could defeat him. When he succeeded in coming here, Max, Ben and Max's helpers retreated to regroup and make a plan. So far, this is the only effective way we can defeat D'Void. The whole world is relying on you Maybelle. You're the inside source. Dr. Animo will begin to trust you because you are like him," he stood up and began to walk into the living room, "in so many ways," he whispered so I would not hear but I heard him well.


	7. Chapter 7

It was the weekend and I waited behind the school at the usual time for the soldier to come pick me up. No one came. I waited until dinner time before finally going home. Maybe because it was a Saturday, he didn't send anyone for me? All day I had been thinking about what my father said last night. Why was I the one that had to do this? Didn't my dad think it would break my heart to betray my role model? I refuse to leak any information to the resistance, I'm not about to snitch. I made up my mind to prove to myself that D'Void wasn't Dr. Animo before I help the resistance in any way.

Sunday came slowly. It seemed hard to decide on anything when I wasn't actually there in front of D'Void to prove anything. I knew that no one was going to come and pick me up on a weekend so I went near one of the portals where the guardians gathered. If I can control a dog, why can't I control one of these guys?

The guardians flew through the portal carrying large trays of bags, full of the yellow crystal. They went in random directions but they all seemed to go straight to the citadel. One was coming my way and I was thinking about how I would go about doing this. Should I jump onto it or jump out in front of it to try to gain its trust? I had hardly any time to dawdle and I had to be quick because there were soldiers guarding the portal, guns at the ready. I climbed up onto a trash can and tried to time it right as the guardian hovered past my hiding place. With a strong leap, a crash from the trash can and a heavy thud on the sturdy monster, I was on my way to the citadel.

It hardly noticed me riding it on the way there, like it was intent on finishing its delivery job. We flew over the citadel and landed by the tower. As we neared the ground, the beast laid its tray on the floor and moved to fly back up. I pinched its skin and the guardian reared back before hovering inches above the ground. I dug my ankles into its sides and it moved across the floor. I could control it like a horse! I leaned over and tugged at the left corner of its mouth like a bridle would to a horse to make it turn left towards the short flight of steps to a door with a brazier on both sides of the door. Soon, after many dead ends, we made it into the great hall and I pinched the guardian's skin again to make it stop.

"You controlled that creature to come here?" D'Void asked as he stood up from his throne.

"I figured it out," I smiled as I slipped off its back and patted its head.

"You have potential, Maybelle," he told me as I followed him to the study where he handed me another file. I read through the papers as he explained to me the summary of the file.

"That yellow crystal that everyone is mining is called coremite. It's a power source that is more powerful than any energy known to man. I studied this rock and everything I found out is in that paper there," he explained to me.

"Interesting," I replied. The handwriting looked familiar but I just couldn't remember where I had seen it from. I saw Dr. Animo's file still lying on the desk in front of me. D'Void's back was turned so I quickly gazed at both files and compared them. It was the exact same handwriting!

"My lord," I began and he turned to face me, "the handwriting in both of these papers are the same."

"You are very sharp, Maybelle," he smiled at me, "What can you conclude from this?" he asked as he put his hands on the desk and leaned over.

"That…" I looked back down at the papers as he stared at me, waiting for an answer, "you wrote both of the papers?"

"You will be an excellent pupil," he grinned and seemed pleased with my answer. I was glad that he wasn't mad. I was figuring the truth out for myself.


	8. Chapter 8

My studies are short but I learn a lot about D'Void. I still haven't decided whether I should tell the resistance or not about the things D'Void has told me. He trusts me. I can't go and do that, especially when he's the one in power.

I have kept a notebook on all of the clues that connects Dr. Animo to D'Void. Starting from the first day I came here when he asked about my essay to now as he enjoys making me deduce things he had said that would prove that he is Dr. Animo. I let him read my notes as he is curious of what I think. He laughs and dismisses me, keeping my notebook in the top drawer on the left of the desk. If I do tell the resistance, I'll have to memorize my notes because he will not let me take it with me.

"You've figured me out now," D'Void said as he stared into the fire. I knew he was smirking. It was a game to him, I suppose.

"Then you're saying that you are Dr. Animo?" I peered over my shoulder at him from the desk.

"Yes, I am," he replied and strode up to my side, placing his hand on my shoulder, "The handwriting, the animals that you can see around at times, the things that only I would know, I must be the great Dr. Animo!"

"But why do you tell me now? Why couldn't you tell me the first day?" I asked him, remembering how Gwen wanted to tell me about the Null Guardians, two years after they had arrived.

"You wouldn't tell a total stranger your social security number, would you?" he asked me as he examined the books in the shelves.

"No," I replied quietly.

"That is why I did not tell you that I was really Dr. Animo. I had to trust you first," he explained.

"That's why you took me under your wing and taught me things," I chuckled, "You really are amazing, doctor."

"Your wish has been fulfilled now, hasn't it?" he turned to me.

"Yes," I replied. I have met Dr. Animo and talked to him as I had wanted. It wasn't as I had imagined it but at least I met him.

"How would you like to be my assistant?" he asked me as he came up to the desk once more.

"That would be cool," I said, dazzled.

"I have already conquered this world. We can conquer the next one together," he smirked and threw his hand into the air dramatically, "Imagine it Maybelle! A world of perfect animals genetically modified to perfection! We can create the perfect species and create a perfect world."

"A world where animals don't produce allergens or dander that makes my dad sick?" I asked him, fantasizing the idea.

"Yes, isn't it a brilliant idea?" he asked, hopeful.

"It's only the best idea!" I beamed.


	9. Chapter 9

My first task as assistant was to collect several specimens of cats and dogs because most people are allergic to them and they are the most domesticated animals. Using my talent, I managed to get three cats and two dogs to follow me and ride with me on a tray carried by a Null Guardian into the citadel. Dr. Animo was very pleased and he sent me home shortly after my task was completed.

Everyone kept asking me if I had learned anything about D'Void yet but all I told them was that I now believed that he was Dr. Animo. Dad urged me to press harder into the investigation to find out more about D'Void.

"I'm trying my best, dad. D'Void is very enigmatic," I told him, "He's full of himself too."

After school, I was usually picked up by a faceless soldier and brought to Dr. Animo's lab in the citadel. Dr. Animo had me clean tools and surfaces after he had worked with the animals prior to my arrival. He was the kind of guy that wanted to things by himself and I respected that. It was an honor to work under him.

Sometimes, I would walk in during an experiment and these experiences made me wonder about Dr. Animo. The animals he was working with sounded like they were in so much pain although he denied it, saying he had given them an injection before he started. As time progressed and I got a glimpse of the cats and dogs, some of them weren't cats and dogs anymore. They were more like the pet from outer space with a lolling tongue longer than normal, bulging eyes and sometimes scaly skin or wild colored fur like pink or navy blue. What kind of experiment was he performing on the poor animals? Surely it wasn't anti-allergens or dander free modifiers. Those kinds of things don't create mutants! Only a fool would think they were not in any sort of pain!

One night while my dad was out, I stayed in the study to try to find anything on Dr. Animo's current experiments. I dug furiously in the drawers of the desk and in the file cabinet between two of the book cases but I couldn't find anything. I was in the second file drawer when D'Void suddenly walked in and saw the mess of files I had strewn on the floor.

"Maybelle, what are you doing?" he asked me in that low, growling voice, D'Void's voice.

"I have to do another research essay for school. I'm trying to find a different topic than the last one," I quickly lied, surprised at my skills.

"What are the requirements?" he asked as he picked up a pile of folders off the chair, laid them on the desk and sat down in the chair. He was no longer growling, which made me feel relieved.

"Science-related, ten pages," I made it up.

"Why not do it on marine animals?" he suggested.

I turned and looked at him crossly. "I'm not very fond of marine animals," I told him. He only laughed.

"Alright, here's an idea. Why not do the paper on my discoveries of coremite? I've never published it so it won't be considered plagiarism," he stood up from the chair and searched for the file with his papers in it.

Did he know what I was really doing? He seemed like such a sucker but it was so nice of him to hand over the credit of the coremite discoveries to me. He must trust me a little too much. I can't betray him, I just can't, but what he's doing to those animals is wrong.

"What are you using on those animals, doctor?" I finally asked him. He looked at me for the first time with an angry face like I was an annoying little child that had been clinging to his leg all day.

"Do you really want to know? If you are truly a fan of mine, you should have an idea," he said.

I squinted at him angrily. "It's a genetic mutation isn't it? To create an indestructible species," I guessed.

"A perfect species," he corrected me.

"Uh-huh," I nodded and sighed. What was I going to do?


	10. Chapter 10

Out of all the small errands to the pet store and to the mega-mart, one errand that Dr. Animo asked me to do is what got me thinking whether he crazy or not. He wanted me to catch Ben Tennyson in an alien form and somehow get DNA from him.

"When Ben becomes an alien!?" I had shouted out loud and he turned to me from his microscope, "Ben can't even become a D student on his own, Gwen does his homework for him!"

"You may not believe me Maybelle, but it is very true," he told me as he pulled open a drawer and handed me a DNA scraper.

"I'll do it for you, Dr. Animo, but I still don't believe that Ben is a transforming alien," I said to him before leaving for home.

The next day at school, I watched Ben all day but he did not turn alien. Was there another Ben Tennyson, like an alien copy? I hitched a Null Guardian and rode to the citadel to tell Dr. Animo about it.

"Why did I not see that through?" Dr. Animo complained as he paced back and forth through the library. I sat at the desk, finishing my homework. "Of course he's not going to use the Omnitrix, I am too powerful and there are no other threats but me!"

"What should I do? Doctor, you just name it and I'll do it," I told him to try to get him to calm down. He turned to me with a concerned look on his face.

"No, Maybelle. I'll make Ben Tennyson use that Omnitrix. All you have to do is get that DNA sample when he does. Tomorrow, I will make an appearance at your school," he said to me. My eyes widened.

"You're really going to make a public appearance?" I asked him, "After all these years?"

He nodded, "Our experiment calls for drastic measures."

The next day at school, I waited anxiously for Dr. Animo to come. Everyone seemed to ignore me through class. Like they knew I was connected to D'Void and they hated me. I didn't mind at first but when I was the only that raised my hand in second period, the teacher ignored me too. I clenched my teeth and stared at my desk as the door opened and in strode D'Void/Dr. Animo. I heard a chair clash to the floor and I looked back to see that it was Ben, horrified.

"May Maybelle be excused from class today?" D'Void asked the teacher when he came in.

"But the Null King…" my teacher stammered.

"I am the Null King," he cut her off and motioned for me to come to the front of the class. I felt powerful. No one dared to mess with me; I was with the Null King.

"Dr. Animo!" Ben yelled as we headed for the door. Dr. Animo stopped and smiled as he turned to face Ben.

"Ah, Ben Tennyson, would you like to try to defeat me once more?" he asked him.

"Sure, but here is not a good place," Ben said to him.

This was it. I was going to see Ben become an alien!


End file.
